Bag lock



March 15, '1932. C. BAUM 1,849,606

BAG LOCK Filed July l8, 1931 INVNTOR Charles Baum ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE CHARLES BAUM, OF IRVINGTON, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. POETER G5 CO., OF IRVINGTON, JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F VNEW JERSEY -BAG- LOCK Application led July 18,

This invention relates to bag locks, and more particularly to locking .means for the frames of ladies hand bags andthe like, whereby the relatively movable frame members. will be securely held in closed position against accidental or surreptitious opening whereby loss of the bag contents is obviated.

It Vis a more particular object of the invention to provide a locking device especially designed for use in connection with hand bags of .the inverted channel shaped type whereinthechannels which receive the edges of the fiexiblebagmaterial are openedalong the outer side Vof the frame.

vlfn one practical embodimentof the invention, the same consists essentially in the provision ofa Vkeeper member rigidly fixed to a guide rail carried'by one ofthe frames and projecting upwardly therefrom, and a complementary slidable member mounted on said rail-to cooperate with a latch lug on the other frame, and a upivotally mounted locking bar on the latter member spring held in a normal position automatically engaging in a groove in a fixed member and having means on one end to cooperate with said member and lock the slidable member against movement in its latching position.v Y Y It `isa'further general .obj ect of my invention `to .provide a device of the above character which is very simple and compact in the'arra-ngement of its several parts, and may be .manufactured and applied to such hand bag Aframes at `comparatively small -cost and is highly efficient for the object in view.

With the above and other' objects in view, the `invent-ionconsists inthe improved bag lockand inthe form, construction and relative arrangement Iof its several parts as will be 'hereinafter more fully described, illustrated lin the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. 1

In Vthe drawings, wherein I have disclosed one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout .the several views,-

`Figure -1 is -a side elevation partly in sec- 1931. Serial No. 551,636.

tion, the hingedly connected bag frames being in separated or open relation;

Fig. 2 isa top plan view, the frames being locked together in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sideelevation; A

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. Zand Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view takenon the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 and 6 designate the two complementary frames which are hinge'dly connected with each` other at their ends in the usual manner indicated at 7 These frames are of the inverted channel shaped type Vnow widely used in the art, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, and the inner wall of the frame member 5 isof somewhat greater width than the `outer Wall thereof to provide the upwardly extending part 8 to the upper edge of which a guide rail 9 is rigidly fixed at one side of its Vtransverse center. The upper surfaceof this rail is preferably convex, said rail being of substantially semi-circular form in crossfsection.

The other frame 6 lis provided uponthe inner Wall thereof with an upstanding latch lug l which, when the frames are closed, lies in closely adjacent relation yto the inner wall of the frame and beneath Vthe rail .9.

My improved lockingmeans for .the bag frames includes a keeper member l1 which is rigidly fixed to the rail 10 and projects lupwardly therefrom on one side of the approximate longitudinal center ofthe top .portion of the frame member 5. This member is provided in its upper face with a longitudinally extending groove or channel 12.

A complementary member 13 is slidably mounted upon the convex surface ofthe ra-il 9, the lower face of said membervbeing formed with suitable iianges 14 extending beneath and slidably engaging the lower face `of .the rail. One of these flanges is formed with a downwardly extending lip l5 spaced from the face of the inner wall of the frame 5 which is adapted to cooperate with the latch lug l0 on the other frame 6 as hereinafter explained to retain the frames in substantially face to face contact when in closed position.

The member 13 is prefereably of the same form as the keeper member 11 and is likewise provided in its upper surface with a longitudinally extending groove or channel 16, the base wall of which at one end of said Y, t channel is downwardly inclined as at 17 and provided centrally thereof with a groove 18 in which one arm of a bent leaf spring 19 is suitably secured.

A locking bar 20 has one end portion thereof extending through the groove 16 and permanently pivot-ally connected intermedi ate of the ends of said groove with the member 13 by the transverse pivot pin 21. The other free arm of the leaf springs 19 exerts an upward bearing pressure against the wall of the groove indicated at 22 formed in the under side of the locking bar 20 at one side of the pivot 21 so as to yieldingly hold said bar in a normal position substantially in parallel relation with the member 13 and within the groove 16 thereof.

The part of the bar 20 extending longitudinally in one direction from the groove 16, is of slightly greater length than the length of the iiXed keeper member 11 and terminates in the head 23 provided with the beveled surface 24 and shoulder 25 on the under side of the bar. Preferably, for the sake of symmetry, the opposite end of the locking bar 20 is of the same form or shape.

From the above description, it will be readily understood that when the frame members 5 and 6 are brought to closed position with their inner walls substantially in face toface contact, the member 13 is then longitudinally moved on rail 9 towards the fixed keeper member 11 and in such `movement the beveled face 24 on the end of locking bar 2O engages said keeper member at one end of the groove 12 therein so that said end of the locking bar will ride upwardly into and through said groove. When the member 13 finally abuts against the end of keeper member 11, the head 23 of the locking bar will be disposed beyond the end of the groove 12 so that spring 19 will act to return the bar to its normal horizontal position and engage the shoulder 25 over the end face o-f the fixed member 11. In this position of the member 13, it will be noted from reference to Fig. 3, the lip 15 thereof is positioned over the outer side of the upstanding latch lug 10 on the frame 6. Since the member 13 is locked against casual sliding movement away from the keeper member 1l by the bar 20, it will be evident that accidental separation of the frame members which would permit of the opening of the bag is prevented. Also, one unfamiliar with the particular locking means employed could not surreptitiously open the bag without being detected so that theft of the bag contents is prevented.

In order to open the bag frames, it is only necessary to depress the short end of the locking bar 20 at one end of the member 13 against the action of spring 19, thus rocking th-e bar upon its pivot 21 and lifting the opposite end of said bar so that the shouldered end thereof may enter the groove 12, as the member 13 is slidably moved on rail 9 away from the keeper member 11. This movement is continued until the lip 15 is disengaged. from the latch lug 10, whereupon the two bag frames may be moved relative to each other to the open position.

On the under side of rail 9 at one end thereof, a short stop lug 26 is formed with which 4one of the flanges 111 -of the slide member 13 will engage to prevent the removal of said member from the rail.

From the above description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have devised a very simple and effective locking means for hand bags and t-he like. As the several parts of the device are of simple mechanical form, they may be readily applied to hand bag frames of this well known type at comparatively small manufacturing cost. Also the parts 11 and 13 may be made in various ornamental shapes or forms and in view of the compact arrangement of the several elements, when the hand bag is closed, will materially add to the ornamental and attractiveappearance of the bag.

I have herein shown an embodiment of the invention, which has been found very satisfactory in practice. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that the essential features of the device may be incorporated in various other alternative forms, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with hingedly connected hand bag frames, a keeper member Xed to one of said frames and projecting upwardly therefrom, a member mounted upon said frame in alignment with the keeper member for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto, a latch lug on the other frame, said slidable member having a depending lip cooperating with the latch lug when said member is positioned substantially in abutting contact with the keeper member to hold the frames in closed position, and manually operable locking means on said slidable member coacting with the keeper member to retain said slidable member in its latch engaging position.

2. In combination with hingedly connected hand bag frames, a keeper member iiXed to one of said frames and projecting upwardly therefrom, a member mounted upon said frame in alignment with the keeper member for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto, a latch lug on the other frame, said slidable member having a depending lip cooperating with the latch lug when said member is positioned substantially in abutting Contact With the keeper member to hold the frames in closed position, a locking bar pivotally mounted upon said slidable member, a spring yieldingly holding said locking bar against pivotal movement, and said bar having means at one end automatically coacting With the keeper member and in the sliding movement of said slidable member in one direction to relatively lock said latter member in its latch engaging position.

3. In combination vvith hingedly connected hand bag frames, a keeper member fixed to one of said frames and projecting upwardly therefrom, a member mounted upon said frame in alignment with the keeper member for longitudinal sliding movement with respect thereto, a latch lug on the other frame, said slidable member having a depending lip cooperating With the latch lug when said member is positioned substantially in abutting Contact With the keeper member to hold the frames in closed position, said keeper member having a longitudinally extending groove in its upper surface, a locking bar, said slidable member having a groove in its upper surface With which one end of said bar is positioned, a fixed transverse pivot connecting said locking bar With said member, a spring mounted in said member coacting in the locking' bar to yieldingly hold the same against pivotal movement in respect thereto, and said locking bar at its other end adapted for movement through the groove in the keeper member and having a shoulder thereon to coact With said keeper member 40 and lock said slidable member in its latch engaging position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

CHARLES BAUM. 

